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Mel Gibson's Arresting Officer Under Investigation James Hirsen
THE LEFT COAST REPORT Headlines (Scroll down for complete stories): 1. Mel Gibson's Arresting Officer Under Investigation Deputy James Mee, the arresting officer in the now famous Mel Gibson DUI case, is the subject of an investigation. The investigation involves the possible leaking to the media of confidential information relating to the pending (at the time) investigation of Gibson. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has confirmed to the entertainment reporting network TMZ, that a search warrant was obtained for a raid of Deputy Mee's residence. The search took place on Sept. 13, and Mee's computer, phone records, and other documents were seized.
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Evidently, the Sheriff's Department conducted the search because of a belief that Deputy Mee was the person who leaked four pages of Gibson's original arrest report to TMZ. According to the Sheriff's Department, it is a crime for a law enforcement officer to leak confidential material during a pending investigation. The contents of the warrant and the results of the search have not been made public.
2. Video Game Lets Players ‘Assassinate' President Bush A new video game's goal is to digitally kill President Bush. "Quest for Bush" is an online game released by the Global Islamic Media Front, a group with ties to al-Qaida. It opens with a U.S. military facility complete with pictures of President Bush, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Armed with various weapons, players pursue missions like "Jihad Growing Up," "Americans' Hell," and "Bush Hunted Like a Rat." "Quest for Bush" is part of a growing group of Islamic video games that are monitored by the U.S. Defense Department. It is similar in nature to the popular game "Doom."
3. ‘Border War' Explores the Immigration Issue Coming to a theater near you is a documentary that provides a much-needed summary of the immigration issue. It provides something else that has been sorely missing in the public discussion of the borders — some facts. The brainchild of David Bossie, president of the group Citizens United, the film "Border War: The Battle over Illegal Immigration" profiles activists and advocates on both sides of the immigration debate. Kevin Koblock wrote and directed the movie. It features five immigration related individuals, among them being Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who is a supporter of sealing the borders first and then dealing with problems associated with illegal immigrants who are already present. Audiences find out the tragic truth about "coyotes," those who attempt to smuggle illegal aliens into the country, and the ruthless manner in which their victims are exploited. At a time when the news media are filled with stories about walls, high-tech surveillance and so-called comprehensive reform plans, the film provides a public service as it delivers valuable information and a thought-provoking perspective on the immigration debate. You can see "Border War" at selected movie theaters and, in case you are unable to make it to the multiplex, the film is also available on DVD.
4. Why Air America Flopped Remember how the left had the ill-fated idea of establishing a liberal radio network? Libs wanted to bring to the national scene a left-of-center parallel to the highly successful conservative radio talk-show universe. What ended up happening, though, is a sterling example of the free marketplace at work. On March 30, 2004, a posh soiree was held at the trendy Maritime Hotel in Manhattan. Folks gathered to celebrate the launch of Air America. According to The Wall Street Journal, over 1,000 guests were present. With red, white, and blue vodka cocktails in hand, partygoers, including Tim Robbins and Yoko Ono, reveled. Assembled libs accepted as true the idea that if only their message could get out, network success would surely follow. Lefty leaders from Hollywood to Manhattan were loving the idea of sticking it to Rush Limbaugh and his conservative radio cohorts. With cash that had been supplied by wealthy ideologues, the liberal radio network tried to get its entire 24-hour lineup picked up by radio stations. But station managers preferred to choose programming that best suited their particular markets, and Air America hit a major snag. Next it tried to buy its way into the big markets and even attempted to purchase some radio stations outright. Not enough dough was available, though, so it decided to go the route of leasing airtime in some of the largest radio markets in the nation including New York, Chicago, and L.A. This would later prove to be an unlucky gamble. "Saturday Night Live" alum and rock-throwing writer Al Franken had been selected to be the lead draw for the network. He was given his own show in a primetime slot. Actress and comic Janeane Garofalo and rapper Chuck D were in the lib lineup as well. Franken and friends did their best to promote the lefty venture, and they received a whole lot of mainstream media help in their efforts. Air America was given unprecedented attention in the news. ABC featured it twice on "Good Morning America." The late Peter Jennings pitched it a couple of times on "World News Tonight." And Ted Koppel devoted an entire "Nightline" program to its coverage. NBC lent it some publicity with an interview on the "Today" show and a reporter's story on the "Nightly News." CNN aired countless stories on it, including some in primetime slots. NPR plugged it on its regular radio segment "All Things Considered" and in an interview on its afternoon chat show "Talk of the Nation." "Newsweek" covered it with an article and interview with Al Franken. The New York Times spotlighted the network in a front-page piece on the first broadcast day and in a cover story in "New York Times Magazine." And The Washington Post reserved some front-page space for it on the launch day, as well as some room in the Sunday "Style" section. Despite all the media help, Air America ran into some huge problems (which, by the way, were virtually ignored by the mainstream media). The quality of the programming was less than stellar. The all-star lib lineup didn't have the prerequisite radio experience. Instead of tapping the vast reservoir of radio talent that was already out there, the shows were hosted by comics, "gangsta" rappers and the like. The content mostly consisted of no-holds-barred hate. It was enough to make James Carville blush. Things went downhill for the network pretty fast. The actual financial condition of the company was in poor health when it started, but it wasn't long before Air America couldn't pay the sizable lease fees to its Chicago station, which was owned by MultiCultural Radio Broadcasting, Inc. MultiCultural ended up having to lock Air America out of its studios and kick it off the air in Chicago and Los Angeles. Air America's CEO Mark Walsh jumped overboard, and others in its management team eventually joined him. Finding itself in the predicament, what did Air America do? It did what lawyer-loving liberals usually do after failing to succeed by conventional means: File a lawsuit. Air America found a New York judge who would order MultiCultural to put the network back on the air in Chicago. The victory would be short-lived, though, because it would soon be bumped off again. Investors in the network eventually set up a new entity called Piquant LLC. Picquant bought the assets of the old company and started over. Air America allowed local stations to pick up whatever part of the lineup they wanted to.
It stayed on the air in New York and in a dozen or so smaller markets. And Al Franken continued to try to paddle his way to the progressive promised land in a deflated inner tube. Folks who know a little something about basic economics understand why Air America flopped. The reason that conservative radio is successful is because people love it and want more of what it has to offer. And the reason that Air America failed to cut the radio mustard is because neither the interest nor the demand for the delivery of the lib message in that format is there. The fact of the matter is, liberals get their messages out in media venues galore. Pretty much everything they need and/or want to convey is already being transmitted via our mainstream information and entertainment fare. After spending a lot of time denying rumors, Air America Radio has finally filed for Chapter 11 protection, but the enterprise hasn't been viable for a long time. According to pleadings filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, the company lost $9.1 million in 2004, $19.6 million in 2005 and $13.1 million by the time it filed in 2006. It has assets of $4.3 million. But it also has liabilities of $20.3 million with its headliner Al Franken listed as a creditor who's owed $360,749.
5. Madonna's Adoption Move Not Celebrated by Everyone Dressed in dirt-stained pants and a black denim jacket, a 31-year-old man waited at the High Court in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, to meet the woman who would take his baby son away. Yohane Banda had previously suffered the loss of his 28-year-old wife, Marita, a week after little David was born. The baby was reportedly offered up for adoption without his father's knowledge. David's photo, along with pictures of 12 other "suitable" male infants, had been e-mailed to famed pop princess Madonna. It is clear from Yohane's statements that he was unaware of the famous celebrity who wished to become his son's mother. In an interview with the London Daily Mail, Yohane explained that Sept. 30, 2006 was the first time the idea of adoption had been brought to his attention. Two officials from Malawi's Ministry of Gender and Child Welfare had come to his village to tell him that "a white foreigner had seen a picture of David and liked him very much." Yohane is a committed Christian. When his wife was alive they sang together in the local church choir. Yohane was unfamiliar with Madonna's music, image and, more importantly, her Kabbalah faith. Instead he was told that she was "a very nice Christian lady," a description that is grossly inconsistent with a performance segment of Madonna's concert tour in which she dons a crown of thorns and "crucifies" herself on stage. Told that the wealthy white lady offered a better life for his son, Yohane explained, "At first I wasn't very sure. I asked if it meant that I would never see him again. They said I would be sent pictures and when David was older he would be able to visit the village. My family and I agreed that this was a very good opportunity for David to get an education and grow up healthy." Adding to his misfortune, Yohane is illiterate. He was unable to read the nine-page document delivered by retired minister Reverend Thompson Chipeta, which was written in English and granted permission for the adoption. Chipeta manages the Home Of Hope Orphan Care Centre in a nearby town. David had been in the orphanage since his mother passed away. Yohane's hope was that one day his son would return to live at home. "I was scared he would die like my other children so I took him where he could be looked after properly. I felt very sore in my heart, but I could think of no other way," Yohane said. For the past nine months Yohane has routinely ridden his bicycle 25 miles to see his only surviving offspring. "I wanted him to know that I was his father, that I love him very much. He is my only child still living and I think of him as a gift from God. "He will always be in my heart. I hate to see him leave Malawi but I have come to accept the loss," Yohane said. Sources told The Mail, a news/entertainment Web site, that after landing in Malawi Madonna rushed to see her chosen one. She immediately moved David and his nanny into a private room. She reportedly said that he had lovely hair and skin. "Oh he's beautiful. I just adore him," Madonna said. The emphasis on the baby's looks was reflected in the material girl's statements to Yohane when she finally met the baby's father at the courthouse. "Your son is very beautiful and he makes me very happy. I promise to take very good care of him," Madonna told Yohane. Generally, under Malawian law, non-residents are prohibited from adopting. In a move that suggests celebrity preferential treatment, Malawi's High Court issued a ruling that allowed Madonna and filmmaker husband Guy Ritchie to take custody of the baby. Yohane's family members have written a letter to the orphanage requesting that David not be taken out of the country by a "rich white donor" and that he be raised with a knowledge of Malawian culture. Madonna has not yet visited the 1-year-old's homeland village. On behalf of dozens of non-governmental organizations, Eye of the Child, a child advocacy group in Malawi, has gone as far as filing the necessary papers to seek an injunction to stop Madonna from adopting the boy. The Left Coast Report thinks some serious questions about the adoption deserve a response, if merely on a human level. — Knowing that David's father is a committed Christian, why wasn't Madonna's commitment to the Kabbalah faith disclosed to him? — Could not Madonna have chosen to adopt one of the hundreds of thousands of other parentless infants throughout the world who await a loving home? — Is it in good conscience to separate a child from his natural father when the means exists to provide the resources that would allow the infant to remain with his father? — What is in the best interest of baby David and what action would be more truly born of love?
Editor's Notes:
The Left Coast Report is put together by James L. Hirsen and the staff of NewsMax — The Left Coast Report Archives
Get your FREE copy of James Hirsen's new book 'Hollywood Nation' — Click Here Now.
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